Claude Debussy

Claude Debussy (1862–1918) was a revolutionary French composer, a leading figure in Impressionist music, known for his innovative harmonies, atmospheric textures, and rejection of traditional forms, influenced by Symbolist poets and non-Western music, with major works like Clair de lune, Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, and the opera Pelléas et Mélisande. A child prodigy, he entered the Paris Conservatory at ten, won the Prix de Rome, and developed a unique style that prioritized timbre, modality, and suggestion over strict classical structures, profoundly shaping 20th-century music.